Caeca Est Invidia
by L'echapper Belle
Summary: All she could think as she watched that other woman and her best friend together is that it should have been her that changed him...


_A/N: May be slightly confusing the first time you read it since the only character named in the first 9/10__th__s is Kisuke but after you get to the end, read it again and I think you'll realize why I did it._

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or the characters portrayed in this story. Please don't sue!

"**Caeca Est Invidia"**

It was a question always at the back of her mind, despite any efforts on her part to quell such thoughts. Just what did Urahara Kisuke see in that woman?

Kisuke himself was by no means perfect and at times she convinced herself that that was precisely the reason why she liked him. He was a genius in all scientific fields without being too annoyingly smug about it-smug was something she only found endearing when it was describing herself.-but he was an idiot when it came to dealing with his peers for one and women for two. Or at least, that was the impression he liked others to have of him.

The very first time she'd met him, he'd been stammering wide eyed in the face of his current beau's rather loud and extremely public dressing down. She'd idly contemplated stepping in on his behalf-more out of a desire to switch the spotlight onto herself than from any desire to spare him any further humiliation before the steadily growing crowd of his fellow students as they clustered about the courtyard to see what the commotion was about-and then decided not to. From the tidbits of gossip she'd picked up from the crowd of shinigami in training, he more than deserved what he was getting and then some. Still, never one for listening to other people's loud ranting, she'd taken a deep breath and sighed heavily as she easily made her way through the crowd toward the couple, her peers as always giving her the courtesy deserving of her noble heritage. Once she reached the petite buxom blonde-whose chest was heaving as she began to build up steam for yet another barrage of insults, she smiled widely, her face taking on an almost comical expression of excitement. "Renu-chan! I thought it was you I saw standing here from the south exit, but I wasn't sure. Your voice is very different when you're screaming." Renu had blinked twice in disbelief and then blushed crimson, almost as if she'd just realized just what she'd done, bowing and stammering an apology to her senpai. She'd taken the girl's arm, her cheery expression never faltering as she prepared to lead her inside, away from the gawking students gathered, but as she'd turned, she'd briefly met his gaze only to see he was on the verge of laughing out loud. Her smile had wavered a moment but she'd quickly recovered her cheerful expression as she led the mortified Renu inside.

She came to learn later on that he often reacted in such a way. Inappropriately. Laughing as if nothing really mattered. Gods, it infuriated her.

The first time she'd actually met him was a week after the Renu fiasco-which was by then, old, nearly forgotten news on campus. She'd been on her way out to the courtyard for a bit of fresh air when she'd dropped her book and several pages of her notes fell to the ground. She stooped to retrieve the items, muttering curses beneath her breath when Urahara Kisuke himself appeared at her side, helping her without speaking at first. She stood before he did, accepting the papers with a stiff nod and a mumbled thanks, her eyes full of mistrust.

He had only smiled at her expression in a carefree way that kind of made her want to hit him. "Well, something tells me you already know my name, after everything that happened last week," he'd begun.

"I think every hearing person in a 5 mile radius knows," she'd shot back, a slight smirk on her face.

Kisuke didn't seem at all ruffled by her statement. "Hmm, well, I already know your name for obvious reasons." He paused a moment, his smile becoming slightly mocking. "You nobles are like celebrities here."

She'd flushed in anger and embarrassment at his statement and proceeded to walk around him stiffly, her head held high as she sought to put as much distance between the two of them as possible.

He'd easily kept pace with her-much to her annoyance. "What I'm trying to do here is thank you."

She'd stopped so abruptly that he had to rock back on his heels to avoid running into her. "You want to thank me," she'd repeated, her tone incredulous.

"I'm sure you weren't actually trying to help me when you did what you did," She'd spun around to face him at that, her face carefully disguising her surprise. "But," he'd continued, "You did. Thank you."

She'd stood in silence, searching for some sign of mocking in his expression; one good reason to set off her infamous temper and give him a roundhouse punch he wouldn't soon forget, but it never came. "You're welcome," she'd said finally; the hairs on the back of her neck had tingled as some foreign emotion worked its way through her.

He'd bowed then and turned to leave as abruptly as he'd come.

"Wait," she'd found herself saying much to her own surprise.

He'd obliged, turning slightly, a look of curiosity on his face.

"That whole scene in the courtyard, now that I think about it seems fishy somehow. Renu's not the type to ever lose her calm like that. You must've goaded her or something."

He'd said nothing and his expression betrayed the same. And so she continued haltingly, slowly working out the scenario in her head. "But why would anyone do that? Unless you wanted the whole school to see her break up with you?"

Kisuke had laughed at that. "As if I could ever be so devious," he'd remarked, turning to leave. "I'll be seeing you around."

A week later, Urahara Kisuke and Taran Kyoko-Renu's younger sister-were rumored to be dating. She'd only shaken her head, both amused and disgusted when she found out. Two weeks later, and they broke up.

As the year progressed, she would at times get the oddest sensation that someone was watching her, only to look up and see Kisuke although she never caught him looking in her direction at those times. Eventually, she got annoyed and approached him, arms crossed over her chest as she glared down at him as he sat at a table in the library surrounded by so many books that she was slightly cowed though she'd never admit it. "Just what do you want from me, Urahara Kisuke?" she'd demanded, narrowing her eyes at him dangerously.

He'd smiled up at her as if he'd been expecting her. "Just to be friends," he'd stated simply, closing an especially thick book with a resounding and foreboding thud, and gesturing for her to sit across from him.

She'd blinked several times in surprise but sat down. From that day on, she and Kisuke were friends of sorts. By their second year in academy, Kisuke had matured significantly; or at least outgrown his phase of having a different woman every week. As a matter of fact, he'd gone a whole two months without even really looking at a woman. Sometimes she'd wondered if he was gathering the courage to ask her out, but in hindsight now, she knew that Kisuke had never lacked courage. Common sense maybe, but never courage.

That was when she showed up. Another noble woman from a rival family. She immediately disliked her and everything about her. She wasn't that different from herself; she was tall, beautiful, and buxom but she was immediately liked by all of the peers who had been given her a wide berth for the past year and a half. It was infuriating.

And then Kisuke had met her. She'd been late coming out of her kidou class because that was a subject she was actually passionate about when she saw it all from the doorway where it seemed to happen in horrible slow motion. She was gliding down one end of the hall, laughing in a way that wasn't entirely ladylike with three others and Kisuke was standing at the other end of the hall-probably waiting for her to get out of class so he could pick her brain on a topic that had piqued his interest in one of his classes-as she neared the other end of the hall where Kisuke was standing, they made eye contact, and gods help her, she'd seen an actual reaction in those grey eyes. And that woman had smiled at him, her cheeks slightly flushed as she and her entourage swept past regally. Her fists had clutched reflexively at her sides as she watched from the doorway as he took a half step after her, as if to pursue her, and then he'd suddenly remembered her. His supposed friend. She'd spared him the trouble, telling him she hadn't been feeling well and that she'd be in her dorm for the rest of the day. To his credit, he'd expressed genuine concern at her well being, but she fancied she saw a glimmer in his eyes that was very similar in nature to the one he got when talking about having his own lab one day or making captain as he shot a too casual glance in the direction the intruder had gone. Desire.

That was the beginning of the end of their friendship and the beginning of Kisuke and her. She harbored no ill will toward Kisuke. He had never promised her anything other than friendship and it wasn't his fault that maybe she'd wanted something more.

Heck, she couldn't even blame her when she was being 100% honest with herself. She hadn't done anything with the intent of hurting anyone. It was simply fate that had led to him falling for a Shihouin and not a Shiba.

Shiba Kuukaku sat on the rooftop of her ever changing, mobile dojo, a bittersweet smile on her face as she watched the sun slowly set in the west. Over one hundred years and the wound still managed to sting. There was no time for self pity however. Kisuke needed her help. Even if she wasn't a fan of the choice he'd made, she'd help him and Yoruichi and the devil himself as homage to a friendship that perhaps, under different circumstances, could've become much more.

Fin

_A/N: The translation of the title is "envy is blind". For those who've read this twice and still don't know why I didn't use Yoruichi and Kuukaku's names until the end, I wanted there to be doubt as to who it was Kisuke wound up falling in love with. Yoruichi and Shiba really do have a lot in common (it's actually kinda scary when you think about it), the whole basis for this story is, why did he fall in love with one and not the other? In this story, my answer is fate. Depending on my muse, I might explore other possibilities. _

_Feedback is greatly appreciated and constructive criticism is welcomed. Writing style seem familiar? If you're a fan of DBZ fiction, you may've read something by me under a different name…_

_Until the next time_

**~ L'échapper Belle.**


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